ACLU Says Government Spying on Bank Records is Further Abuse of Power

NEW
YORK - The ACLU today condemned the U.S. government for gaining access to vast
troves of international financial data with no judicial or Congressional
oversight nor definition of how the information is being used.

The program,
revealed this morning the New York Times, outlines how the government
received the cooperation of the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial
Telecommunication, more commonly referred to as Swift, to monitor financial
transactions. Swift is a Brussels-based consortium that serves as a
clearinghouse for transactions worldwide. It was reported this morning that tens
of thousands of records gathered by Swift have been turned over to the CIA, the
FBI and the Treasury Department at the request of the U.S. government.

The
following statement can be attributed to Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director
of the ACLU:

"The revelation of the CIA's financial spying program is another
example of the Bush administration's abuse of power. The invasion of our
personal financial information, without notification or judicial review, is
contrary to the fundamental American value of privacy and must be stopped now.
It seems the administration feels entitled to flip through all of our
checkbooks. How many other secret spying programs has the Bush administration
enacted without Congress, the courts or the public knowing? We need a full
accounting of what information has been demanded by the U.S. government, how
they have used it, with whom it was shared, and how they intend to repair this
grave breach of trust. This program is a glaring example of how this government
thinks nothing of widespread abuse of power.

"The government contends that
the program is legal since Swift is ultimately a messaging service and not a
bank, exempting it from U.S. banking laws. However, Swift is established and
owned by banks to assist directly in banking activities. Swift is subject to
both U.S. and European law, and it is wrong for the U.S. to demand information
without following the established channels.

"Once again, this administration
has performed an end-run around the legislature, allowing for no Congressional
approval or oversight, and violating the freedoms Americans falsely believed
they could take for granted. Congress should call them to
account."